🎓Fully Funded PhD Scholarship: Agroecological Performance Assessment – Sweden
🏥 About the Department of Crop Production Ecology
Applications are open for a Fully Funded PhD Agroecological Assessment Sweden position at the Department of Crop Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Uppsala. The PhD is embedded in the AGRITASC project, funded by the Agroecology Partnership/FORMAS. The Department of Crop Production Ecology is part of the Ecology Centre and, together with the Department of Ecology, offers a dynamic and inspiring research environment. We develop knowledge about resilient and sustainable crop production systems to meet the demands for quantity and quality in terms of food, animal feed and bio-based raw materials in a changing world.
Location: Uppsala, Sweden
Research subject: Crop production science
Employment: PhD (4 years)
Start Date: As soon as possible or by agreement
🎯 Scholarship Overview
đź”— Project Overview
Assessing how agroecological (AE) practices perform requires robust, context-sensitive tools that capture outcomes beyond short-term yields. Across Europe, farming systems operate under very different agroclimatic, economic, and social conditions, and existing assessment approaches are often not fully adapted to the complexity and diversity of cropping systems.
AGRITASC addresses this by developing an integrated assessment framework that evaluates AE practices across environmental, agronomic, and socio-economic dimensions. The PhD is embedded in an international, interdisciplinary research environment and is connected to farmers through Living Labs.
đź“‹ Research Areas
As a PhD student in AGRITASC, you will work across three connected research areas:
1. Tool Review and Refinement
- Review and refine agronomic assessment tools
- Complement with additional models
- Compare agroecological and conventional practices across Living Labs in Sweden, Estonia, Germany, Romania, and Spain
- Work with indicators related to soil, crops, livestock, water and nutrient efficiency, crop health, and animal welfare
2. Framework Development
- Help build an integrated framework by combining refined components
- Embed results in a multi-criteria decision-analysis structure
3. Performance Evaluation
- Apply framework to evaluate performance
- Link agronomic and ecological outcomes with socio-economic results
- Identify trade-offs within AGRITASC Living Labs
đź“‹ Your PhD Activities
- Combine model/tool work with direct stakeholder interaction in Living Labs
- Synthesis and quantitative analysis
- Scientific writing
- Contribute to produce scientific knowledge, dissemination and engagement activities
- Translate results into policy-relevant briefs and practical guidance
- Participate in courses, conferences, and international project collaborations
âś… Qualifications
Required
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Education | Second-cycle (MSc) degree in Agronomy, Agroecology, Agricultural Systems, or related field |
| Understanding | Solid understanding of agricultural production systems |
| Analytical Skills | Experience with quantitative analysis |
| Interest | Strong interest in agroecology and in assessing system performance |
| Language | Good command of written and spoken English |
| Collaboration | Ability to collaborate with stakeholders |
Meritorious
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Language | Ability to communicate in, or willingness to learn, Swedish |
| Experience | Experience with agroecology/sustainability assessment frameworks |
| Research Experience | Experience in transdisciplinary or participatory research |
| Knowledge | Knowledge of European and/or temperate-region agriculture |
| Driving Licence | Valid for use in Sweden |
🌟 Personal Qualities
We place particular emphasis on:
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively
- Take initiative
- Manage complex tasks in a structured way
- Contribute positively to a team environment across disciplines and countries
đź’Ľ What They Offer
| Benefit | Details |
|---|---|
| Employment | PhD (4 years) |
| Location | Uppsala, Sweden |
| Scope | 100% |
| Research Environment | Dynamic and inspiring – Ecology Centre |
| International Collaboration | Living Labs across 5 European countries |
| Funding | Agroecology Partnership / FORMAS |
đź“ť How to Apply
Your application must include:
- Written application
- CV
- Degree project
- Copies of degree certificate and transcript of records from previous first and second-cycle studies
- Two personal references
- Proof of English language requirements
Useful Links
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